Metallurgic furnace



W. METOALF.

MetaHurgmPurnaoe.

Nm 227,120. Patented May 4,1880.

A a vi ,l

III

N.PErERs, PMOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. c

UNITED STATI-3s PATENT Garten.,

WILLIAM METCALF, 0F PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

M ETALLU RG IIC FU RNAC E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227;,120, dated May 4,1880.

Application filed July 12, i879.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM METGALF, of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny,State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented or discovered a new and usefulImprovement in Metallurgie Furnaces; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, concise, and exactdescrip` tion thereof',reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Inaking a part of thisspecification, in which-like letters indicating like parts- Figure lis aview, in perspective, ofso much of a rotary furnace as is necessary toillustrate the features of construction and operation which constitutemy present invention. Fig. 2 shows an end view of the furnace-chamberand a sectional view of the water-tank, but with the counterweighteddoor which opens and closes the neck at the exit swung out of positionto enable the workmen to get access to the working-chamber; and Fig. 3is a longitudinal vertical section of the apparatus as shown in Fig. l.

My invention relates to an improved door applicable to the workingchambers of the class of furnaces commonly known as rotary oroscillatory furnaces;7 and used for puddling, purifying, and convertingmetals, as well understood in the art. The shell of such working-chamberis represented at A. This shell is usually made of iron plates bent toform, angle-iron, Src., and is to be lined in any known way preliminaryto use. A rotary or oscillatory motion may be imparted to it from anydesired motive power through gearing A, or in other convenient way. Oneneck, B, leads to the eXit-ues.' The other neck, B', receives theworking heat, flame, or gases from any suitable heat-generatin gapparatus, either directly or through interposed conduits.

The parts thus far designated differ in no material respect from what isalready known in the art, and the construction of such parts may bevaried at pleasure within the limits of the art 5 and other devices suchas are usually employed in connection with such apparatus or arenecessary or desirable to its success are to be added to what is shown.

I also make use of knives or dividing annular ribs @,one or Inore innumber, (preferablytwo,)

the function of which is to divide up or separate the mass of puddlediron into two-or more puddle-balls, each of convenient size and weightto be readily removed' by the Workmen from the working-chamber throughthe neckB, when opened for the purpose, as presently to be explained.These knives or dividing-ribs are made hollow, as shown, and the U shapeor open part a of the shell extends entirely around, and each rib on theinside also extends entirely around, the inside of the working-chamber,and when properly lined also eX- tcnds above the level of the lining oneither side of it. This construction `not only facilitates the divisionof the mass of puddled iron into balls, but also insures a uniformelongation and shortening of the shell on all sides under the effect ofvarying temperature, since when thus made the length of metal subject tolongitudinal expansion and contraction willbe the same all around, andthe result on expansion andcontraction of the presence of the U -shapedre-entrant ribs will be the same at all points.

Ialso employ improved means forkeeping the workin g-chamber cool or atthe proper temperature while in use. To this endI support it 011roller-bearings b l), as is usual; but instead of making theseroller-bearings open, as heretofore, I arrange them in a tank, D, on anysuitable supporting frame-work b. The sides of the tank are high enough,so that when water is supplied thereto the lower side of theshell as itrevolves will be immersed in the water, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and3. This tank is, by preference, mounted on a truck, D', of suitableconstruction, which latter rests on trackrails D2, so that when it isnecessary to repair the working-chamber or any part of the apparatusconnected therewith it can be run out to one side, clear of its endconnections, and when repaired can readily be run back to position.

The partial immersion of working-chamber in the water, as described, isfor the purpose of preveutin g an undue and destructive elevation of itstemperature when in use. A continuous flow or supply of water should bekept up through any suitable pipe, d, or other source of supply. Theexcess of water (if any) may be carried oft' by overiow or by anydesired waste-passage. A pipe and cock, d', may be added for the purposeof emptying the tank when necessary.

In order to provide for keeping the necks cool and so much of the headsas are not immersed, I provide on cach end one or more spiral-shapedscoops o1' buckets, e e, substantially as shown in Figs. l and 2. Thesebuckets in the section of their radii form each an acute angle with theadjacent head, but may have an equivalent trough form, and they are sodisposed that their outer open ends, as the workingchamber revolves,will scoop ordip up water out of the tank, which7 as rotation continues,will run along back the spiral trough, and be poured over the heads andonto the necks; and the better to insure its action on thenecks I makeflanges e at or near the outer ends oi" the necks, and so form anannular trough around each neck.

In connection with a furnace of the revolving class referred to I employan improved movable door, by means of which one neck is opened to enablethe workman to charge the working-chamber and to remove the puddleballs,or do other work requiring access to the inside. Such a door is shown atP, and is applied to the exit-neck B. This door is made ofa doubleshell, as is usual in the art, and contains vone or more lateralflue-holes, g,

through which smoke, gases, surplus heat, &c., pass to the stack throughsuitable flues properly built for the purpose, either directly orthrough regenerator lines or passages, as may be desired. This door P ishung to one end ot" an arm, P', pivoted to any suitable support, P2, anda counter-weight, P3, is secured adjustably or Xedly to the other end ofthe arm.

The arm P is bent somewhat, so that the suliporting-post P'2 may standto one side of the neck-opening, and also so that when the door is swungaway, as in Fig. 2, it shall be out of the way of the workman whenengaged in charging the working-chamber, removing the puddle-balls, ordoing other work therein.

A sight-hole, closed by a small door, h, or equivalent slide, is made inthe main door for the usual purposes.

I claim herein as my inventiono A movable door and counter-weightconnected by a bent arm and supported to one side ofthe neck-opening, incombination with a rotary or oscillatory metal-working chamber,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM METGALF. Witnesses:

R. H. WHITTLESEY, JOHN SMITH.

